Let out a roar for Thorr(ington)
Bend it like Thorrington?
It may not have great worldwide marketing potential, but John Thorrington's ability to move in on a breakaway and chip Los Angeles Galaxy goalkeeper Joe Cannon sent a Toyota Park record crowd of 21,374 into a rapturous roar.
"The ball just sat up nicely for me and thankfully it went in," Thorrington said. "It took quite awhile for it to clear his hands and then cross the line. It's just a big relief to get in the playoffs."
Thorrington's goal in the 90th minute, his first for the team this season, gave the Chicago Fire a 1-0 win over Los Angeles and sealed his team's spot in the MLS postseason. Based on Saturday's league results, the Fire needed to win or tie to qualify while the Galaxy needed to win.
The Fire (10-10-10, 40 points) will meet D.C. United in the opening round of the postseason. The first game is Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Toyota Park.
Sunday's match featured the long-awaited appearance of international superstar David Beckham on a Chicago soccer field. Beckham -- the one who's really known for his ability to bend a soccer ball -- entered the match in the 58th minute and was greeted by a chorus of boos, which substantially drowned out the few cheers he received.
"I think that's a credit to the fans of Chicago for knowing what this game means to their team," Cannon said. "They didn't get caught up in the hoopla surrounding David Beckham. That's what happens when you have knowledgeable fans in the stadium."
Like his team, Beckham was largely ineffective in attacking the Fire goal. In the 90 minutes, the Fire had 10 shots on goal to Los Angeles' 1.
"We have to win games throughout the season instead of relying on the last five or six games to come back into it," Beckham said. "But we've ended the season sort of on a high -- apart from this game -- and we have to be positive about next season."
Los Angeles (9-14-7, 37 points) struggled to find an attacking presence. Landon Donovan, for example, did not have a shot attempt all game.
"Tonight was a night when I almost felt like we were a second division or a pub team, and (the Fire was) Chelsea," Cannon said. "Give (the Fire) credit. They could have come in in a defensive shell and just tried to play for a tie. They came at us from the second minute."
The Fire created a multitude of chances from the opening minute when Chris Rolfe had a shot tipped over the crossbar by Cannon.
Late in the first half, Cuauhtemoc Blanco had a shot saved, Chad Barrett shot over the crossbar, and Rolfe volleyed over the crossbar -- all on solid scoring chances.
In addition to the 10 shots on goal, the Fire created 22 scoring chances to Los Angeles' 5.
"I'm 46 years old, and at the end of the game, I feel like I'm 56 now," Fire coach Juan Carlos Osorio said.
The Fire enters the postseason on an eight-match unbeaten run (3-0-5) and has moved from well outside the playoff setup to the seventh-best point total in the 13-team league.
"I just congratulated everybody in the locker room, but that's over. That's history," Osorio said. "Now we are in the playoffs. (Today) we were supposed to have a day off, and I changed my mind. We'll be in training at 9 o'clock and we'll start preparing my team for Thursday."
Sunday's match marked the final match for Los Angeles' Cobi Jones. Chris Armas, by contrast, had his retirement party delayed. The Fire captain has announced he will end his career when the season ends.